The present invention relates to an absorbent article such as an incontinence protector, a sanitary towel or a diaper. The article comprises a liquid-permeable cover layer, a liquid-impermeable cover layer, and an absorption body enclosed between the two cover layers, and at least one elastic member which is arranged with prestressing in the crotch area of the article, extending essentially in the transverse direction of the article, between the side edges of the article.
On use of absorbent articles which are intended to be used for absorption of bodily excretions such as urine and menstruation blood, it has been found that leakage sometimes occurs on account of liquid flowing across the surface of the article and running out past its edges instead of being absorbed into the article. This problem is especially evident in connection with incontinence protectors for adults suffering from urinary incontinence. On urinating, the incontinent subject excretes a relatively large amount of urine within a short period of time. It can therefore happen that not all the liquid has time to penetrate into the incontinence protector. The excess liquid will thus flow across the surface of the article and run out onto the user""s clothes. Since the urine impacts the surface of the incontinence protector at relatively high pressure, this also means that there is a risk of the urine simply rebounding off the surface of the incontinence protector and then running out from the incontinence protector.
In order to avoid leakage of liquid caused by the liquid running across the surface of an absorbent article instead of penetrating into the article, it has been proposed that the surface of the article be pleated. By doing so, on the one hand, an increased liquid-receiving capacity of the article is achieved, and, on the other hand, the folds in the surface of the article make it difficult for the liquid to flow freely across the surface. One method of producing pleats in the surface of an absorbent article is to provide the article with transverse elastic members which are secured to the article in a prestressed state. Such transverse elastic means are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,070. By arranging transverse elastic means in an absorbent article, the article is also curved into a liquid-receiving cup shape.
Other methods for creating liquid-receiving cup-shaped spaces are described, for example, in documents EP 0,091,412, U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,084 and WO 95/31162. Although these previously known articles do afford increased safety against leakage, there is nevertheless still a need for further improvements.
A disadvantage of the previously known cup-shaped absorbent articles is in fact that while they are being used, they may deform to such an extent that the cup shape is lost. Such deformation is particularly noticeable and troublesome in connection with so-called light incontinence protectors. Light incontinence protectors are relatively small absorbent articles which are worn inside a pair of ordinary underpants. Light incontinence protectors are often used by healthy individuals who are professionally and socially active. It is therefore extremely important that the articles should be small and discreet so that they can be concealed under normal clothes. At the same time, of course, it is essential that the articles have a high absorption capacity and do not leak.
Light incontinence protectors and sanitary towels are generally secured in the crotch area on the user""s underwear by means of special self-adhesive surfaces which are arranged on that side of the protector or sanitary towel which is facing the underwear during use. Upon use, the absorbent article will be pressed together in order to fit in the confined space between the user""s legs. In doing so, the article is deformed and pleated in an uncontrolled manner, which often adversely affects both the absorption capacity and the ability to quickly admit the excreted body fluid. For example, it is not unusual for the edge portions to be folded in across the liquid-permeable surface layer, so that the surface which in practice is available to receive liquid is greatly reduced. When the user is moving, for example walking or running, mechanical shaping of the article takes place, which not infrequently results in the absorption body of the article bunching together and forming cracks. Of course, such deformation also has an adverse effect on the function of the article.
With the present invention, however, it has been possible to obtain an absorbent article which is of the type mentioned in the introduction, and in which article the disadvantages associated with the previously known articles of this kind have been largely eliminated. An article according to the invention is distinguished primarily by the fact that at least one elastic member is arranged between the liquid-permeable surface layer and the absorption body on a first surface of the absorption body, and also by the fact that a shaping element which is rigid to bending in the transverse sense of the article is arranged between the side edges of the article on a second surface of the absorption body, the shaping element counteracting contraction of the elastic member.
By arranging a component which is rigid to bending, and which to a certain extent counters the contracting force in the elastic member, the article is prevented from crumpling together in an uncontrolled manner during use. Instead, a well-defined bending and cup shape are obtained, in which cup the excreted body fluid can be caught and can then be absorbed into the article. The shaping element also contributes to increasing the stability of the absorption body of the absorbent article and thus prevents the absorption material from bunching together or cracking.
The shaping element is advantageously elastic to bending so that its shape can be continuously adapted to changes in the forces occurring during use of the article. By using a shaping element which is elastic to bending, the article, after compression in the transverse sense, can at least substantially resume its original shape.
A material which in this connection has been found to function particularly well when used in the shaping element is a layer of foam material. Such a foam material can also be used as the liquid-impermeable cover layer of the article and thus serves at the same time as the shaping element.
Another type of material which can be used as the shaping element is strongly compressed fibre layers, for example of the type described in documents WO 94/10953 and WO 94/10956. Such fibre materials have a density of up to at least 0.1 g/cm3.
To make it easier for the article to be bent into a cup shape through the cooperation between the elastic member and the shaping element, it can be an advantage if the absorption body has bend notches. Such bend notches can consist, for example, of recesses in the absorption body, as a result of which the absorption body can be curved without folds or cracks forming in an uncontrolled way in the absorption material. Alternatively, the bend notches can consist of slits or compressions in the absorption body. It is also possible to provide the liquid-permeable cover layer with corresponding bend notches.
Similarly, the shaping element can of course also have bend notches.
To obtain a larger cup shape, or to form a cup with different depths in different parts of the absorbent article, a plurality of elastic members in the form of strings, bands or the like can be arranged between the side edges of the article. The elastic members can in this case be arranged with the same prestressing or with different prestressing from each other.
The elastic element or elements do not have to be arranged entirely in the transverse direction of the article. However, it is necessary for a contracting force to be generated in the transverse direction of the article.
Moreover, the shaping element can consist of two or more parts or xe2x80x9cribsxe2x80x9d which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the article. Each part of the shaping element extends between the side edges of the article. An advantage of such an arrangement is that the article acquires greater flexibility in the longitudinal sense and thus shapes more easily to the contour of the user""s body. In addition, the article can more easily be folded when packing an unused article, and also after use, when the article is to be discarded.